This Sunday, over 12,000 runners from up and down the country will flock to Leeds to take on the city’s first marathon in over 20 years.
The inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon was named in honour of Leeds Rhinos rugby legend and Motor Neurone Disease campaigner Rob Burrow, who was diagnosed with the condition in 2019. Leeds Hospitals Charity is one of the event’s official charity partners, with thousands of runners taking part to raise funds for the charity’s fundraising appeal to build a specialist Motor Neurone Disease centre at Seacroft Hospital.
59-year-old Alison Thomson from Scotland, is part of Team Leeds Hospitals Charity, who have collectively raised over £200,000 to help make Rob’s dream of a bespoke MND Centre in Leeds a reality. Next month, Alison turns 60 and had always planned to complete a marathon before this milestone, she said the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon was a perfect opportunity for her to achieve this goal:
“I’ve followed Rob’s journey and Kevin’s challenges for MND, so when I saw I could fundraise at the marathon for the Rob Burrow Centre for MND Appeal, I jumped at the chance to take part! Taking part in this run is nothing compared to the struggles that people living with MND and their families face on a daily basis.”
No stranger to struggles herself, just before Christmas, Alison had been experiencing sinus problems and found a lump in her neck, which she thought was caused by an infection. Unfortunately, the reality was much worse, and after tests and scans, Alison was told she has an aggressive form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Despite her diagnosis, Alison is determined to complete the marathon her way and over the next few months, will be clocking 26.2 miles by running around her local area, and has already completed 10 miles whilst on chemotherapy treatment. Alison told us:
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the support I’ve received from friends, family and other Team Leeds Hospitals Charity runners in the Facebook fundraising group. It’s wonderful to still feel part of a community of fundraisers, even though I won’t be at the marathon on the day. I am determined to defy the odds, just like Rob has throughout his life off and on the rugby pitch, and make it to the 2024 Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon!”
Thanks to incredible fundraisers like Alison, Leeds Hospitals Charity have now surpassed the halfway mark of their fundraising total, with over £3.4 million raised to help build the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease. Ambitious plans for this bespoke centre include a host of individual treatment rooms, accessible toilets and changing facilities, an education space for staff and hopefully a space where the latest equipment and technologies can be made available for patients to explore.
Paul Watkins, Director of Fundraising at Leeds Hospitals Charity said:
“We’re incredibly excited to be a part of the first-ever Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon and would like to wish all of our Team Leeds Hospitals Charity runners the best of luck. We have thousands of amazing people like Alison taking part and have been amazed by their dedication to training and fundraising, whether it’s their first-ever marathon or they’re a seasoned marathon runner!
“Thanks to the incredible efforts of our marathon and half marathon runners, we are one step closer to realising Rob Burrow’s dream of a new centre that will make a huge difference to people living with motor neurone disease and their carers.”
Leeds Hospitals Charity is the charity partner of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, one of the biggest healthcare trusts in Europe. We raise funds for projects, above and beyond what the NHS can provide, to support the latest in healthcare innovation and technology, the treatment of rare conditions and to help reduce health inequalities. Working with local communities, schools and businesses across the city and beyond, we provide £6 million in additional funding for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust every year, supporting one million patients and their families and 22,000 NHS staff.
Leeds Hospitals Charity has a limited number of guaranteed charity places available for the 2024 Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon. You can find out more and sign up at www.leedshospitalscharity.org.uk
